Performance Certification (EPC), Excellent Procurement Product Designation and Eco-Label Certification Application

Procedure

Procedure

1. 01

   Choose the scheme and check eligibility: Check whether the product holds NET or NEP certification, implements a patent, utility model or design, or belongs to a published Eco-Label product category, and choose the scheme that fits. For an Excellent Procurement Product, a patent must be within 7 years and a utility model within 3 years of registration, and the company must be registered on KONEPS (Nara Marketplace) as a bidder for manufactured goods, so the registration status is checked as well.

2. 02

   Prepare the application: For EPC, the performance certification application (Form No. 5 of the Enforcement Rule of the Act on Facilitation of Purchase of SME-Manufactured Products) is submitted with the product specification through the Small and Medium Business Public Procurement Portal (SMPP); for an Excellent Procurement Product, the designation application is submitted in the manner set out in the Public Procurement Service designation notice. For the Eco-Label, the certification application (Form No. 23 of the Enforcement Rule of the Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act) is submitted to the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute.

3. 03

   Organize technical and quality evidence: For EPC, prepare evidence of the underlying technology such as NET/NEP certificates and a performance test report; for an Excellent Procurement Product, prepare technical evidence such as patents and certificates, quality evidence such as test and evaluation reports, and the product specification. If a patented or certified product has a product performance test report issued by a testing institute within the last 3 years, the performance test may be waived, so the issue date of existing reports is checked first.

4. 04

   Submission and review response: EPC proceeds through a conformity review, a specification check by the expected purchasing public institutions, a factory audit and a performance test, and any requested supplement must be filed within the period set by the institution, up to 5 days from the application deadline of that round. An Excellent Procurement Product goes through a first review combining technical/quality evaluation and credibility, an on-site production inspection and a second review, and the product identification number must be obtained before the second review. Factory audits, performance tests and inspections are carried out by specialized and testing institutions, and Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office prepares and submits the documents requested for supplementation.

5. 05

   Results and validity management: EPC is valid for 4 years from certification (extendable within 4 years), an Excellent Procurement Product for 3 years from the effective date of designation (extendable by up to 3 years, with the extension application filed from 1 year before expiry until expiry), and the Eco-Label for 3 years (extended by 3 years if applied for before expiry). A change of trade name or representative or relocation of the audited factory requires reissuance of the EPC certificate, and the Eco-Label may be revoked if the certified product is not distributed for 1 year.

Filing route

Filing route

Deadlines & processing notes

Deadlines & processing notes

Basic documents

Basic documents

For EPC, if a requested supplement is not filed within the period set, up to 5 days from the application deadline of that round, the application is rejected, and if a certification obtained by false or fraudulent means is revoked, a new application cannot be filed for 1 year, so test reports and technology evidence should be in hand before applying.